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Pat Jollota Demeans Decorated Veteran, Not Worthy of ‘First Citizen’

by lewwaters

“we have been shocked by the animosity between candidates and parties, and have clucked at the vitriolic name-calling. Wish we could go back to the good old days of gentlemanly behavior.” – Pat Jollota October 14, 2012

A June 29, 2012 Press Release from the Community Foundation announced that former Vancouver City Council member Pat Jollota had been selected as the communities latest “First Citizen,” an honor that elated the entire community and brought her much acclaim for the efforts the community has believed she stood for.

Sadly, it is now revealed by her own hand that she is not deserving of such a distinction and should be stripped of it.

As the quote at the very top of this post indicates, for some time now we all have complained about the level of discourse in the political environment. Yes, it’s always been nasty but once was the time that we came together after the election was over and sought middle ground to better serve all points of view.

Those days disappeared some time ago as the vitriol continues unabated as more and more, we see the attitude of ‘my way or the highway’ take precedence, especially from Democrats always playing ‘victim’ and demanding only their view be heard, heeded or adopted.

Locally we can see it in our County Commissioner race where current County Commissioner Tom Mielke is demeaned and denigrated on a regular basis by the local paper of record, the Columbian because he dares to represent conservative views and is often the lone voice on the Commission representing conservative views.

Commissioner Mielke is also a Decorated Combat Veteran of the Vietnam War, having received a Bronze Star Medal with ‘V’ for Valor on the Battlefield amongst his other awards from when he served with the 82nd Airborne Division. He is also the only Decorated Combat Veteran currently sitting on or running for the Commission, his challenger Joe Tanner being a Navy Veteran of the era who served deep within a ship as an Electronics Technician some miles off of the coast of Vietnam, far from the rigors of combat.

I recently posted about the Republicans taking cheap shots at a Democrat opponent in injecting irrelevant matters in a race in Eastern Washington. Contrary to what I am accused of, I truly would like to see more middle of the road compromising, once the middle is brought back out of the solid left position it now holds.

From past discussions with some Democrats, including Pat Jollota, I had the impression they wanted that too. That is why I was appalled last evening to see on Pat Jollota’s facebook page,

“Just out of curiosity,how many wives has Tom Mielke had? Estimates run from 5 to 7, with the majority vote at 5. Anyone know for sure? If one forgets to pay ones property tax, it’s only logical that one forget how many wives one has had.”

As irrelevant as Amy Biviona’s Playboy photo shoot from 17 years ago is, such speculation and sleazy gossip against Tom Mielke is too. Equally appalling is the ensuing ‘discussion’ with Pat Jollota as she justifies herself, at one point even describing her words as “good gossip” and engaging in the very condescension we often see Liberal Democrats complaining about long before she returns to play the eternal ‘victim card,’ accusing me of “elder abuse” while she ignores her own ‘spitting’ once again on Vietnam Veterans.

Pat Jollota retired from the LAPD after 22 years as a radio operator, retiring to Vancouver in 1982 due to what she described as “a lack of appreciation for local history amongst many Angelenos contributing to a decline in community and a rising crime rate, seeing farmlands vanish, orange groves fall to bulldozers and historic neighborhoods become derelict and forgotten.” That, she claims is what inspired her and her late husband, Jake, “to find a community where history held a central role,” even though she has, in her subsequent 20 years on the City Council, advocated many of the very things that would transform Vancouver into a miniature copy of Los Angeles, California.

She has come to this community and over the years established herself as some quasi-historian, self appointed expert who is somehow now above reproach for her boorish attacks and sleazy gossip against those she disagrees with.

It is interesting, to say the least, that the criteria for being awarded ‘First Citizen’ includes,

“their accomplishments and contributions to the community in a number of areas, including effectiveness in leadership roles, raising community standards and expectations, strengthening community identity and civic pride, and exemplary giving of time, self and resources.”

I fail to see where engaging in such sleazy public gossip against an elected official and Decorated Combat Veteran, that has no bearing on their capabilities, fits in with that criteria.

Although I stand on the opposite side of the political aisle from Pat Jollota, I have had respect for her due to the claims of her community involvement and historical research. My illusion was shattered as I witnessed her involvement in this cheap, underhanded sleazy gossip and I lost all respect that I ever had for her.

I now see that there is no intent of ever achieving any ‘middle ground’ unless that ‘middle ground’ rests solely on the left’s point of view. The left is who is constantly droning on about the level of discourse in our country and community, but ignores it is they who are the real hatemonger’s and sleazy gossips.

In the final analysis, how many times Commissioner Mielke may have been married is as irrelevant as how many adulterous affairs Pat Jollota may have had.

How disappointing to see that the “The Grand Old Dame,” the latest “First Citizen” of this community, honored for “modeled exemplary citizenship through their actions and service to the community” is really nothing more than a sleazy, cheap gossip.

I read the posts Lew. The talent the Democrats have for playing the victim never ceases to amaze me. Do they go to school for that? This woman makes an utterly detestable attack on Tom Mielke, then when brought to task for it starts crying about how she’s being attacked about her age…that was pretty ironic because I’d guess the two of you are within the same decade as far as age. Maybe if you were 25 and making those kind of comments she’d have a bit more of an argument.

Apparently the others had no problem with her salacious comments about Mielke, but were horrified that you dared to question her! Amazing!

Stuff like this makes me wonder if there is any hope at all for this country. As you stated in your post, it just goes on and on and on. Good job on calling the GOP to task for the same kind of thing Lew.

Just so we don’t throw “the Navy with the bathwater”, it needs to be mentioned that the major responsibility for submarines off the coast of Viet Nam was to pick up downed-airmen who were shot down or had to eject with “wet feet”. A friend of mine who was flying over Viet Nam from carriers off the coast was shot down twice during his tours. He owes his life, as do many other pilots and navigators to the submarine force of the US Navy.